Home owners and the like have many options when it comes to protecting their homes and family. There are locks for doors and windows, security systems, fences, etc. Many companies specialize in providing security systems for the home. These systems provide piece of mind as well as protection for the home owner and his/her family. However, a level of home owner responsibility may come with these systems. For example, the home owner has to set the system every time he/she leaves the home. Once set, the home owner only has a few moments to get out of the home, or he/she will trigger the alarm. Furthermore, when going to bed the home owner may have to set the system as well. In this case, the home owner must not forget about setting the system when he/she wakes up, or he/she may also trigger the alarm. Therefore, these systems may not offer the security that may be required by the home owner because the systems may be inadvertently triggered or not activated at all.
Today, modern handheld mobile devices, such as smart phones or the like, have the capability to facilitate payment for a cup of coffee or provide a boarding pass for a flight. These advances combine multiple technologies through a handheld mobile device to provide a user with an array of capabilities. For example, many smart phones are equipped with significant processing power, sophisticated multi-tasking operating systems, and high-bandwidth Internet connection capabilities. Moreover, such mobile devices often have additional features that are becoming increasingly more common and standardized features. Such features include, but are not limited to, location-determining devices, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) devices; sensor devices, such as accelerometers; and high-resolution video cameras.
As the capabilities of such mobile devices have increased, so too have the applications (i.e., software) that can be used with the mobile devices. One such example of innovative software is a category known as augmented reality (“AR”), or more generally referred to as mediated reality. One such example of an AR presentment application platform is Layar, available from Layar, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Layar platform technology analyzes location data, compass direction data, and the like in combination with information related to the objects, locations or the like in a captured video stream to create browse-able “hot-spots” or “tags” that are superimposed on the mobile device display, resulting in an experience described as “reality browsing.”